In this blog I will be giving my political opinions on both issues at home and abroad.
I will also focus on the issues that affect the people of Ipswich and in particular those who live in Rushmere Ward.
I will also try and give an insight to how I will be campaigning in Rushmere and Ipswich as we fight against the savage cuts imposed by this Tory Government

Sunday, 25 September 2016

#StayinLabour - I won’t be quitting Labour

I won’t be quitting Labour

Not a great day yesterday – the result from Liverpool was
not unexpected, and then throw in a lacklustre defeat for Ipswich in Leeds, I
did not wake up in the best of moods this morning.

Turning on my phone did not help, people I respect and trust
telling me they are leaving the party – I chat to some Corbyn supporters, vow
to give him a chance, even not to attack him on twitter but then the car crash
of a morning for the party starts.

McDonnell refuses to apologise for the vile comments he made
about a woman MP – the woman may be a Tory and not a nice piece of work and
someone who should be attacked for her actions as a minister but not with the
words McDonnell used. But he could have just apologised and that would have put
water on the fire – but, no he said it was OK as he was being honest- this is
just minutes after Jeremy Corbyn said he will not accept any abuse. He stated that
he is not nasty to anyone – correct but if his closest ally is being abusive
and he does not suspend or censor him then he is as guilty as McDonnell.

We then had the offer of an olive branch, wiping the slate
clean – seems to have fell on deaf ears if you see the coverage of the Labour
First meeting, but then I understand their anger – Corbyn on the Marr show had
the opportunity to say there will be no de-selections – he failed to give that
assurance.

He is dragging his feet at the NEC on how a Shadow Cabinet
should be elected - a real leader would want the most capable people on his
front bench. An election would have achieved that plus would have been a real
sign of peace in Labour.

Then we find out is he not only dragging his feet on that
issue we find out he also spoke out against more autonomy for Scottish Labour
and rumour has it that he wants the next NEC to look at reversing some of the decisions
made last Tuesday. Democracy?

We then had McCluskey telling us we were ahead in the polls
before the coup a myth that Corbyn supporters now seem to see as fact.

You can add in the open anti Semitism being displayed at the
Momentum alternative conference (attended
by Corbyn and other Front Benchers like Clive Lewis) you can see why people
worry about the future of the party.

It seems most members from pre 2015 did not want Corbyn so
new members have changed the party many of us joined – but that does not mean
it was all good. We had lost two elections, the membership was distanced from
Westminster – we did need clearer policies- in particular on education. But we just get someone who has spent most of his life in Westminster, London centric and
a serial rebel – who has a team round him that seem to make constant PR
cock-ups and his polices just seem to be words.

I campaigned hard in 2010 and 2015, we lost because we were
not trusted on the economy – not because we were Tory lite!

But we need to get behind Corbyn – Am I being a hypocrite? No,
I support the Labour Party, not Corbyn the same as I voted for Labour not Foot,
Blair or Brown.

I will stay in Labour, fight hard to return more Councillors
to the County Council – I will attack the Tories – in particular over this
Brexit shambles – but that does not mean I will forgive Corbyn for his poor performance
in the EU campaign. But from the news today it seems May joins Johnson, Corbyn
and Cameron in a group of MPs who put their own future in front of what would
have been better for the country.

Interesting it seems that those who voted in the election
campaign, the majority of those under 24 voted for Owen Smith the same
generation who feel most betrayed by the EU vote.

So I stay and work hard for the party, attack the Tories,
knock on doors, get involved in policy – Corbyn states today that activists
will have more of a say in policy – good news as most of the activists who are
out on the streets of Ipswich each Saturday are not Corbyn followers- he may
have confused the word activists with members.

I want Corbyn to lead, disappointed that in his speech after
he won he 'demanded
followership,‘
not what is needed.

I am proud of what this party has achieved in 120 years, the
NHS of Bevan, the involvement of Attlee in the founding of NATO and the minimum
wage of the Blair Government

There of course were mistakes – Iraq the most commonly used
example but I was also proud to be in the army sent by Blair to help in Kosovo
as my friends were proud to help secure peace in Sierra Leone.

I fear Corbyn is an isolationist that is not what this party
believes in and I believe many who voted for Corbyn also see us as an
international movement.

So I stay, work hard for my constituents, campaign hard for Labour victories and where possible stay loyal to the leadership – but I will
at times be critical – but never as critical as Corbyn was of Labour leaders – I like him will say if I disagree on policy – NATO, Trident, EU but I am sure it
will not be the 500 times he felt he needed to vote with the Tories.I will not take lectures on loyalty from Corbyn or people like Shami Chakrabarti who have been in the party for all of five minutes.

I would ask all Labour members to stay, the party, the
county, the electorate are far more important that one leader.

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About Me

I am 55 and married with two children, I stood for the Labour Party in the Rushmere Ward in Ipswich at 2006 and 2007 local elections and then won it for Labour on May 1st 2008 with a majority of 13 before retaining the seat in 2012 with a majority of over 500. I retaining the seat again in 2016.
I live in the ward and I was born in Ipswich and both my parents (Annie and Peter Ross) were Labour councillors in Ipswich.
I went to Tower Ramparts School in the town (Yes, it was a school before it became a shopping centre!)
In 1978, I left Ipswich to join the army. I spent 24 years in the Royal Green Jackets, serving in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Kosova.
Since leaving the army in 2002, I have worked in a local school.
I spent 2009 back with the army, 7 months in Sangin, Afghanistan as Operations Warrant Officer with 2 Rifles.
I am the campaign organisor in Rushmere
Sport is my other great interest and I was one of the founding members of the Ipswich Town Independent Supporters Trust.